Disability Grants For Monica With Multiple Disabilities To Rebuild Life With New Art Business

by Monica Caravello
(Westminster, Colorado, USA)

I'm Monica Roxanne Caravello and the artist known as Monijolica. I'm a 56-year-old artistic woman on Disability. I am single and recently divorced. I have few friends and no pets.

In 1980 I married and gave birth to two girls: Rechelle Jaramillo and Chennelle Jaramillo. They both died of a "rare" terminal illness called Battens Disease, late infantile. I have no other children.

In 1985, Colorado was my home until my children needed special care for their rare metabolic condition, at the tender age of one and three years old. This condition forced us to relocate to Portland Oregon.

Until 2007, Oregon was my home for 22 years. I lived there for 11 more years after the death of Chennelle. I moved back to Colorado, due to my medical condition.

My mother Cecilia and I currently rent an 800-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment approximately. My mom, now 79, has a heart condition. Her income is SSI and Pension. It's barely enough to pay her own monthly bills.

Disability Issues

In 1988, my mental health was impacted due to the distresses caused from the neglectful care and mistreatment my children endured at a childcare facility in Portland Oregon.

This abusive relationship I had with this care facility over these years accumulated in my children's sufferings finally leading to their deaths. As a result, in 1995 I developed PTSD, bipolar and severe psychiatric episodes leading to countless hospitalizations and treatments.

Another factor contributing to my mental health decline was my simultaneous attendance at four local colleges. I used education to counter balance my anxieties.

In 1995, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. This led to chemotherapy, radiation, multiple surgeries, double mastectomy, reconstructions, implant replacements and drug therapies. I was only 30 years old.

In 2007, my breast cancer metastasized to my spine. My prognosis was grim! Basically, I returned to Colorado to die! After I arrived there, my family recommended I go to UCHealth Anschutz Outpatient Pavilion in the Breast Cancer Clinic.

I went through intense treatment with radiation, monthly infusions of Zometa, and daily drug therapy with Arimidex.

Today, my cancer is not active! I get regular blood workups and do daily drug therapy with Arimidex.

I have a small benign cyst on my liver and a benign right lung abnormality.

I use oxygen to sleep. I have allergies to morphine, green tea, CT and imaging dyes, pollen and some foods.

I have high blood pressure and blepharospasms in both my eyes. I receive Botox injections to paralyze eye muscles. My primary physician sees me once a year when she prescribes my pain drug and other medications.

Financial Hardship

I'm on SSDI at $634 monthly. This qualifies me for $20 in SNAP food stamps. I also participate in the home care allowance through an angel network that pays out to my home care provider monthly.

I participate in the Section 8 Choice Voucher Program. This reduces my rent from $955 a month to $555. My monthly bills are as follows:

The total mom payout of $1,080 only allows her a little extra cash from her total monthly income SSI/pension. However the amount she covers allows me transportation to and from doctor appointments, locally.

Due to the high cost of fuel, I occasionally have to take other transportation like Uber, bus, transports, etc. This is not included in the monthly bill total.

Income Efforts

From 1993 to 1996, I attended Mt. Hood Community College, graduating with an Associate Degree in General Studies with induction into Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society 3.80gpa

From 1996 to 2000, I attended Bassist Institute and AI Institute of Portland, graduating in 2000 with an Associate in Architectural Interior Design.

From 1998 to 2000, I simultaneously attended Portland State University (PSU) graduating in 2000 with a Baccalaureate of Science in Arts and Letters with Emphasis in Architectural Sciences.

I completed my higher education at the age of 39 years.

From 2002 to 2006, I was an artist with a mental health group called "The Minds Eye." At the same time, I was an online artist with a local art gallery. I had an art studio in my home until I relocated in 2007.

I would like a space where I can have an art studio, an adjacent art gallery, and office space. This is needed so I can continue my artworks, as well as start a nonprofit organization to serve ideal community groups.

I am seeking enough funding to help me make a better life for myself and be able to afford nutritional good food.

I'm also looking for help to pay off bills and the negative balance I carry monthly in order that I can feel good about myself again.

I am tired of living from day to day on SSI with no help and no light at the end of the tunnel. I am asking for help getting my life back on track to where I can have a little bit of pride, and be an inspiration to others whom are experiencing tragic loss!!!

I am asking for help today to where eventually I can go see my family out of state. I want to go to the movies and concerts again, and even travel in or out of the USA, all this without worry of my finances.

Business Idea

I've already taken the knowledge I acquired in school applying it to an in-home art studio since 2002. I've maintained an online presence from 2007 to 2017.

I LOVE painting on canvas in oils or acrylics producing works of art!! This has helped me recover and process my mental health challenges as well as my stresses relative to my Cancer diagnosis, both of which where the direct result of my children's sufferings due to their terminal illness of Battens Disease.

I know I need someone to mentor me with my nonprofit business idea by sharing funding ideas and sources, marketing training and acquiring the right technical tools and art supplies.

I need a large enough space to work in, one that will provide for an office, house an art studio for a group of clients and offer an adjacent art gallery to display works of art for sale both to public and silent auctions.

I believe I can establish a group setting within local communities that will support art as the therapeutic means to preventing or healing mental health challenges or cancer related to stress.

Also, given the time and money, I could even have clients eventually start taking on commissioned artwork in addition to selling artwork from the gallery space.

I will need to establish a domain, web site hosting in order to market these works of art.

Each work of art will have a written copyright and statement. On file will be a signed release by the client to sell their work of art online or in a gallery.

Each work of art will be priced competitively accordingly to similar art works in galleries within the art district, as well as online galleries.

The profits from each work of art will be split in percentages: 80% nonprofit 20% to the client.

The costs for the nonprofit organization will be $100,000 plus. The sales forecast is unknown.

Funding will come from private/government sources, in addition to 80% proceeds from profit sales for each work of art sold.

Comments for Disability Grants For Monica With Multiple Disabilities To Rebuild Life With New Art Business

Hello Monica. Your needs really hit my heart. While I too am disabled and unable to assist you financially, I will pray for your success in receiving the assistance you need from those who are able to assist you. God bless you. Charles

Jun 02, 2017Rating

The Workbook is next...by: Don from Ability Mission

Hello Monica,

Congrats on getting your story published! In doing so, you've acquired valuable hands-on experience in responding to precise instructions, the very kind that you will encounter when applying for help of any kind.

You've now earned the right to access the Workbook, which shows you how to use your story as a springboard to getting the help you need.

The content of this website is for informational and educational purposes only. Ability Mission is NOT a granting agency. It does not offer direct funding. Instead, it sets out a proven process of seeking, finding and getting help. Applicants learn by example and with hands-on exercises.